Because Of You
by Jezzie Lynn
Summary: Koga has marked Kagome as his own, but Inuyasha won't give her up so easily. Koga will stop at nothing to get her, so what can Kagome do? Can Inuyasha keep the girl he truly loves, or will Koga take her by force?
1. Separation

Because Of You

Summary- It's Kagome's 'Time of the month' again. On a stormy night when a demon attacks, Kagome gets separated from Inuyasha and Koga rescues her and brings her to his cave. Could this rescue turn out to be the worst thing that ever happened to Kagome, Koga and Inuyasha? Loyalties will be put to the test and anger will rise, as the tension grows thick. What happens to cause all of this violence and hatred and mistrust?

Chapter One

Separation

It was growing late by the time Kagome appeared at the bottom of the well in an ominous glow of purplish light. As soon as her feet made contact with the ground, she was nearly weighed over by her large yellow bag that was flung over her right shoulder. She managed to regain her balance, however, and sighed as she peered up to the opening of the well.

_'It's a long ways up,'_ she thought tiredly._ 'Why does Inuyasha always have to have this much ramen?'_

Pulling the other strap of her bag over her left shoulder, Kagome braced herself for the long climb up the ladder that she had brought with her from her time to make her unavoidable hauling of supplies much easier.

_'Plus, it's my time of the month.'_ A voice reminded her from somewhere in the back of her mind, causing Kagome to stop, hanging on the middle rung of the ladder._ 'I wonder if demons will go nuts over the fact that I'm bleeding...?'_

Pushing the embarrassing question aside for later pondering, she continued her climb up the ladder. She had almost made it to the top when a pair of triangular dog-ears popped over the edge, soon followed by a pair of golden eyes. "Kagome, are you all right?" Inuyasha wanted to know.

His deep voice startled her and Kagome squeaked in surprise and accidentally released the rung that she was clinging onto and fell backwards. Inuyasha reached down and seized her wrist and caught her before she had a chance to plummet to the bottom of the well, which was not far enough to kill her, but it probably wouldn't have felt too good to hit the ground. "You moron!" He shouted, more out of relief that he had caught her, than anger. "You're not supposed to let go!

"Well, I wouldn't have let go if someone hadn't come up and scared the crap out of me!" Kagome countered as Inuyasha pulled her out of the well and sat her safely on the ground.

Inuyasha snorted, "Keh, yeah right! It isn't my fault that you're such a coward."

Kagome closed her eyes and counted to ten, something that was quite common for her to do when she was irritated over Inuyasha's rude remarks. It was a way for her to try and lessen her anger...and it didn't even work half of the time. She had no idea why she still did it. Maybe because it had grown into a habit.

"And anyway," Inuyasha ranted on as if he didn't notice her anger level rising. He probably didn't, considering that this was Inuyasha and he was egotistical and had a hot flying temper. Kagome was almost the same way, except that she was not as egotistical as she was sensitive. "What took you so damn long to get back? I thought you said you'd be back in _three _days, not _four_! I was about to come and drag you back myself, but Miroku wouldn't let me. We lost almost a whole week in searching for jewel shards because of you! And every day lost, another day Naraku possibly grows stronger! Don't you get it yet?"

"Inuyasha," the young girl said.

"Yeah, what?" He demanded.

"Sit boy!" The odd command was immediately followed by a loud thud and a groan.

"Damn it, Kagome! Why do you always have to use this stupid thing every time I turn around?" Inuyasha demanded heatedly, pushing himself up slowly.

"Because," Kagome replied hotly. "A certain someone hasn't learned yet that if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all!"

Inuyasha wiped the dirt off of the side of his face. "And what was it I said that was mean?"

Kagome sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. "You can be so clueless sometimes!"

Inuyasha dusted his red kimono off and stared at her. He folded his arms across his chest, sticking his chin out defiantly, like a rebellious teenager, which he was, sort of. "What does that supposed to mean?" He wanted to know.

Kagome sighed. She was not feeling all that well due to her stupid time of the month, what with cramps and sometimes even terrible headaches and body aches. She had already been on her monthly for two days and it would not be over until that next week. "Inuyasha...just, please be a little less angry. I haven't been feeling well for two days. And I guarantee that I won't be feeling good until next week." She muttered the last part unhappily.

Inuyasha's arms dropped to his sides and he peered into her eyes. He then touched her forehead with his right hand before touching his own. "You don't have a fever. What's the matter with you?"

Kagome groaned, realizing that she had practically told him of what was wrong with her. She hadn't meant to, but she had known that it was going to come about eventually. However, she was expecting it to be another day where she would sit down with him and explain it to him. She was hoping that she would have a break that day. She just forgot about Inuyasha and Shippo's sense of smell.

"And why are you bleeding?"

Kagome nearly fell over. "W-What? What do you mean?" She asked, her face turning a light shade of scarlet.

"Kagome, don't lie to me." Inuyasha said, his tone and expression growing serious. "I can smell your blood. Are you hurt? What happened?"

'He's worried over a little blood. Well, seeing as he doesn't know what a girl's period is, he has a right to be concerned. I just don't want him to be worried, but I don't want to explain it to him. Looks like I'll have to.'

Kagome smiled. "No, I'm not hurt. Honest. It's just..." she broke off with a nervous laugh as her face grew a darker shade of crimson.

Inuyasha blinked his large, golden eyes at her. He was confused, but was waiting for an explanation. "Just what?"

Kagome sighed. "Look, I'm going to have a hard time telling you this, not just because it's sort of complicated, but because it's embarrassing, too." She looked up into his yellow eyes, which stared back at her. She realized that, even though she rarely saw it, those eyes watched over her every night, protecting her from any danger. She looked away for a moment and seen a few lightning bugs floating from the ground, up, higher, into the sky, their yellow lights blinking. They set up a somewhat romantic scene and here she was, about to tell Inuyasha about her time of the month.

Very romantic.

She kept her gaze away from Inuyasha while she explained, somewhat. "I'm on my monthly and when I'm on it, it usually lasts for a week and I bleed and I get these headaches. And I get cramps."

Inuyasha asked, "Cramps?"

Kagome turned to face him, her face still a little red. "Yeah. Just pains that happen around in here." She motioned toward her sides, right above where the waistband of her skirt started and right below her navel. "It really hurts."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, "Oh. I-I didn't know you were in pain. We'll stay behind one more day if you need us to."

Kagome bit back a small laugh. Just a few minutes ago, he had been lecturing her because she had kept them stuck at Kaede's for almost a week and when he finds out that she has a few pains, he offers to stay one more day just for her. That offer made her feel a little special. Unfortunately, she had to turn down his offer. "Oh, no. It's fine. I have some medicine that I can take. I'll take some when we get to Kaede's hut. Which reminds me...why are we still here at the well?"

Inuyasha growled, "Maybe because a certain someone told me to sit!"

Kagome turned and started walking. "If you don't come on, I'll say it again. Remember, I don't have the patience to deal with you like usual."

Inuyasha bolted and caught up with her. A bright flash of lightning caused both of them to freeze in their tracks and look up at the darkening sky. A low rumble of thunder followed after it. "Here, get on my back." Inuyasha bent over for Kagome to get on easier.

Kagome stared at his back and the thought of him running and jumping, her stomach against his solid back, made her cringe. "No, it'll hurt my stomach. I'll just walk."

More lightning flashed and was impetuously accompanied by thunder. "No, I'll carry you." Inuyasha persisted from behind Kagome.

"I told you, I'll walk. Ah! Hey, what are you doing?" Kagome squeaked. Inuyasha had lifted her up bridal style and had taken off running. It was very comfortable and did not cause her any pain whatsoever.

Inuyasha smirked when he seen her relax in his arms. "You're too slow. I'm much faster."

Kagome glowered up at him as he swiftly dodged trees. "You have an advantage, dog boy."

"Just because I'm half demon doesn't have anything to do with it."

"Um, yes it does."

"Feh. Whatever." He muttered.

The village came into view and Inuyasha skidded to a stop right in front of the entrance to Kaede's hut. He set Kagome on the ground and they both went inside. It seemed as if the storm had been holding off for them to get inside because as soon as they were sheltered, rain began to pour down heavily. "If you had walked," Inuyasha began. "You would still be out there walking in the rain."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said tiredly. "Sit."

Inuyasha fell to the floor. "Gah!"

"Kagome, ye need to try and not sit Inuyasha so much in my hut." Kaede said.

"I'm sorry, Kaede." Kagome apologized. She sat down and began to dig around in her bag, ignoring the stares she was getting from Miroku and Sango and Shippo. After shuffling through the things in her bag for a while, she gasped before groaning, "Oh, no! I forgot my medicine at home."

Inuyasha sat up. "Well, come on, we'll go get it."

"Medicine?" Miroku and Sango asked in unison.

"Kagome, have ye fallen ill?" Kaede asked in a concerned tone. The others waited for her answer eagerly.

"No, I um...I'll explain later. It's complicated. Right now, I have to go and get my medicine." Kagome said nervously, jumping to her feet and heading over to Inuyasha, who picked her up once again and they fled.

"I hope they will make haste and be careful." Kaede murmured.

"So do I, Lady Kaede." Miroku agreed. "So do I."

----------

The rain was pattering down on Inuyasha as he raced through the woods with only the second layer of his kimono on. He had draped the outer layer over Kagome to try and keep her as dry as possible. But she had refused to take it at first, telling him that he would end up sick if he did not keep it on. He had told her that since she was already not feeling well that she should try and not end up in an even worse position with a cold, or even the flu.

They were almost at the well when Kagome gasped, causing Inuyasha to skid to a stop. "What is it?" He demanded.

"I sense a shard of the jewel..." Kagome murmured. It's coming this way, really fast."

Without warning, something slashed Inuyasha across his back, causing him to fall on top of Kagome into the wet grass. He winced in pain and pushed himself up and turned to look at the demon, which seemed awfully weak. "Hand over the shards of the jewel." It commanded in its deep tone. "Hand them over and I will consider sparing the both of you."

"Heh. Like I'd ever hand the jewels over without a fight. And even then I probably wouldn't hand them over." Inuyasha said, unsheathing his Tetsusaiga. "You'll have to go through me to get them."

The demon snickered. "It seems that woman there possesses them. And she probably cannot protect herself as well as you can, half-breed."

Kagome, from where she sat on her knees in the soaked grass, the kimono still draped around her, watched on in fear.

Inuyasha growled in indignation. "You leave her alone. If you want the shards, you'll have to go through me."

The demon smirked. "As you wish." He suddenly lunged forward with speed that almost matched Koga's and drew a sword, which he plunged through Inuyasha's stomach. He had thrust it so deep that he was able to pull the handle of the sword through Inuyasha's back. Kagome gasped as she seen the sword enter through Inuyasha's mid-region and exit from his mid-back. Inuyasha fell to his knees, more surprised than anything else. That demon had attacked with so much unexpected speed and ferocity that it was almost frightening.

"Now, I can get what I want from you, miko." The demon sneered at Kagome, who had fell onto her back and was trying to crawl away. She looked over at Inuyasha, who was lying on the ground in a bloody heap. His sword's transformation had been reversed. "Inuyasha..."

"Run, Kagome..." Inuyasha choked out, trying to push himself up in order to kill the demon. "Get out of here now!"

"But I can't leave you..." Kagome protested.

"Just go, damn it." Inuyasha commanded. He had pulled himself up to his feet and was barely standing. He staggered forward a step and his sword transformed once again.

"Well," the demon commented, his tone one of disappointment. "It appears that half demons have the will to fight like a full demon. But they are more annoying because they refuse to die."

Inuyasha smirked, showing Kagome that he was still fully conscious and that he still had plenty of fight left within him. "Go Kagome. Get out of here and find shelter. I'll handle this jackass."

Kagome nodded, almost certain that Inuyasha could handle himself against a demon of such weak stature. The only reason Inuyasha was so fatally injured this early on in battle was because the demon had caught both of them off guard and had attacked with a cheap shot to Inuyasha's back. "Be careful," she murmured before jumping up and running off into the dark woods.

She had gotten turned around due to that demon's attack and had no idea where she was headed. The only thing in front of her was dark woods that continued to get thicker and thicker with no paths and no sign of human life. She glanced to the left and right and saw nothing but trees and bushes. With every step she took, she more she got lost, and the more she became scared. She finally stopped after what seemed to be an eternity of running and panted for air.

The rain was continuing to pour down and the kimono over her was already soaked. At first it had provided her with wonderful shelter against the elements. But now it had become just as worthless as her wet clothes. At yet, she continued to keep it draped around her. Was it because she was attempting -- and failing miserably -- to keep warm? Or was it the fact that it was Inuyasha's kimono -- which had kept her safe on more than one occasion -- that made her want to keep it so close to her? Well, she was not simply going to toss it away as if it were an unneeded lollipop wrapper. It was Inuyasha's clothing, for crying out loud. She wasn't going to just discard it.

She was about to start walking -- and see if she could find her way back to Kaede's village -- when a voice snickered all around her. She could not figure out where the voice was coming from. At one point it seemed to be right next to her ear and at another point it seemed to be right in front of her. "That half breed actually thought that I couldn't defeat him. How pitiful. He can withstand Naraku's incarnations and other more powerful demons and yet, he falls because of me. Weak, humble old me. He was a pathetic excuse for a half demon. But he probably would have been an even more pitiful excuse for a human, or demon."

Kagome was spinning around in circles, trying to find the source of the voice. She knew what he looked like -- only too well. She just needed to know where he was. But what was the point of that? She had no weapon, so how could she hurt him -- much less kill him? "W-Where are you? Show yourself, you coward!"

"Are you trying to hasten your fate, young miko?" He taunted. "If you wish to die right now, by all means, please tell me. I will make sure you die quickly. Unlike your beloved Inuyasha. I made him suffer."

Kagome gulped back a sob. "He isn't dead! He's stronger than that!"

"Is he? Are you certain of that?" The demon question, tormenting her with every word. "You have not seen his mutilated body yet, am I correct?"

"Then, how can I possibly believe you when you say he's dead?" Kagome demanded.

"Face it, miko." He continued. "You know he's dead, you feel it in your heart. You can feel him slipping away from you. Can you not?"

"No!" Kagome shrieked. "I don't believe you!"

"That is not of my concern, if you believe me or not. But I know he is dead. I ripped him open and seen his insides." The demon said. "Just hand over your shards and I will spare you and let you give your lover a proper burial, even though he does not deserve it."

Kagome felt the tears dripping from her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. She did not believe this demon. She was just afraid, alone, and cold, and confused. "Come out of the shadows, now!" She cried. "You are just like Naraku, hiding in the darkness and using demented schemes!"

"Do not ever compare me to that filth Naraku." The demon commanded. "I am much better than that wretch."

"Then prove it to me and come out!" Kagome couldn't help but smirk when she sensed three more shards approaching at a great speed. What made her smile grow bigger is when the demon leapt out of the shadows on her left and was prepared to attack. Only it didn't happen. Koga had leapt into view and had delivered a powerful kick to the demon's jaw, sending him flying into a tree before collapsing to the ground. He jumped back up and glared.

"Another demon coming to your aid, miko? You must be very special to them." The demon wiped the blood off of its jaw. "Ah, it appears that this wolf has some shards of his own. How wonderful for me. The more the merrier. I will destroy him, just as I did that mutt, Inuyasha."

Koga looked down at Kagome. "You can't be serious..."

Kagome just stared at the demon, the tears still falling. "That's what he says, but I don't believe him."

Koga had no time to respond when the demon flung himself at Koga, who dodged easily with the power of the shards in his legs. He followed his dodge with a hard punch, which missed since the demon almost matched Koga's speed. Koga smirked as the jewel shard in his arm glowed. "Not bad for such a weak demon. You almost match my speed."

"Am I really as weak as you claim I am, wolf?" The demon wanted to know. "I was the one who eliminated Inuyasha, the half demon rumored to be so powerful."

Koga snorted, "Yeah right. Inuyasha's probably left behind in the woods somewhere, seeing as you're almost as fast as me. You probably ran away from him just to get to Kagome."

The demon scowled and let out a fierce growl. "Hold your tongue, wolf!"

Koga smirked. "So that _is _what's wrong with you. You chickened out and ran away from him, didn't you?"

"No, I did not!" The demon roared angrily. "You need to learn when to keep your mouth shut!"

The demon charged for Koga, who dodged his sword and followed up with a kick to the demon's ribs. Kagome gulped at the sickening crack that seemed to echo through the small area. Koga stood in front of Kagome as the demon struggled to stand, which was not easy due to his ribs being cracked. "I'll kill you for this, wolf..." the demon snarled, barely able to stand.

Koga laughed. "I'd like to see you try."

"There's a shard in its forehead." Kagome whispered. Koga nodded, without looking away from the demon.

The demon lunged for Koga, his expression one of irritation and anger. Koga waited until the last second to attack, plunging his entire arm through the demon's head and ripping out the shard. The demon let out a massive cry before it burst into dust and dissipated. Koga held onto the shard and turned to Kagome. "Are you all right?"

Kagome only managed to nod.

"Come on, I'll take you back to the cave and let you dry off and rest." Koga said softly, hardly audible over the rain.

"But what about Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, turning and looking in another direction -- the direction she thought was where Inuyasha was. "Can't we go check on him?"

Koga snorted, "Dog shit is all right. Trust me, he doesn't die _that _easily. He'll come by and get you later on."

Kagome gazed off into the distance, her soaked hair sticking to her face. "All right. Let's go."

Koga lifted her up bridal style and took off, faster than Inuyasha's speed. She was glad that he had lifted her up bridal style because she was not in pain and she was not about to tell him that she was having pains. Inuyasha, she could tolerate telling. But Koga was an entirely different story altogether.

They arrived at the cave a short time later and Koga took Kagome inside and made sure that there was a fire for her to keep warm with. He asked if she was hungry and she told him no, which was the truth. He told her to rest up and that if Inuyasha came by, he would wake her up and let her go home. Ginta and Hikkaku were sound asleep and Koga went to the mouth of the cave and was keeping watch.

Kagome had tossed and turned and had thought about Inuyasha constantly. Was he all right? Was he at Kaede's, getting bandaged and some rest? Was he searching for her? Well, since this was Inuyasha, he probably was not getting any rest and was stubbornly up searching for her.

She rolled over and looked at roof of the cave. She thought about earlier that day when she had to tell Inuyasha about her monthly. It had been sort of amusing. But then she thought about Koga and his sense of smell. Hadn't he smelt the blood on her? She figured that if he did, he was just being polite -- which was normal for Koga -- and keeping it to himself. Or maybe the rain had somehow gotten rid of the smell.

She rolled over and faced the back of the cave and closed her eyes. She soon began to doze off, but was awoken instantly when a pair of arms snaked around her waist. Kagome gasped and tried to sit up, only to have the arms seize her shoulders and push her down again and jerk Inuyasha's kimono top off of her and toss it away. "Now, now," a masculine voice purred. "Just relax."

Kagome's eyes widened. "K-Koga?"

"Who else? Those two wouldn't think to mess with you, knowing I'd kill them in an instant." Koga said, meaning Ginta and Hikkaku.

"W-What are you doing?" Kagome stuttered, squirming in his tight grip. Her heart was racing, not because she was happy or nervous, but because she was terrified. What was going on with him? He seemed normal earlier, so what happened?

"Something I should have done the very first day I met you." Koga replied.

Kagome shuddered when he kissed her neck. "No...don't."

"Why not, Kagome?"

"I-I don't want this..."

She heard Koga growl and felt it reverberate through his body and against her back. "I didn't ask you if you wanted it, now did I?" His voice was hard.

"Koga...please, no." Kagome begged. She tensed when he rested his left hand on her thigh. She gulped back a sob and bit her lip, unsure of what to do. "Just stop..."

Koga slid his hand up a little, teasing her. "Why should I?"

Kagome took a deep breath. Her heart was racing so hard that it was beginning to hurt her chest. "I don't belong to you..." she whispered. It took a lot of guts, but she did it anyway.

Koga smirked against her neck, dragging his fangs lightly across her pulse. "Well," he sneered. "Who _do _you belong to?"

Kagome thought for a moment before answering, "Inuyasha."

That one word infuriated Koga to the brink of insanity. His grip tightened around her waist. "We'll just have to change that, now won't we?" He demanded in a gruff voice.

Kagome felt her heart skip, "What...what do you mean?"

Suddenly, a pair of fangs sank into her neck, causing her to wince in pain and reach up to grasp the fresh wound. When she pulled her hand away from the small injury and examined it, she seen that a few stains spotted it. "What did you do to me?" She asked, wishing that she were home, safe and sound in her bed.

"I marked you to be my mate." Koga said, grabbing her shoulder roughly and spinning her onto her back so she could look him in the eyes. "You _will _be my mate." He told her.

Kagome's eyes grew bigger. "But...But I don't want to be..."

"I don't care about what you want." Koga said, his blue eyes staring at her blankly. He climbed on top of her and held her down by her shoulders.

"Koga..." Kagome murmured. His eyes held lust and desire. It was his demonic instincts that had taken over. So he _had _smelt the blood, but had tried to contain himself the entire time. And maybe the only reason that he had saved her from that demon when he had was because he had smelt her blood and was concerned. He knew that something was going on with her...something dealing with the female body. And he desired her body for himself. He was beginning to show it. It was all now becoming clear. "No...don't!"

Koga growled in annoyance and backhanded her across the face. Kagome lie there for a moment, staring at the side of the wall as the pain slowly subsided. When she turned to look at Koga once more, she felt something run down from her lip. She reached up and felt with a shaky hand. Blood. She was bleeding, all because of Koga. "You will...no questions asked."

"I know you don't want to do this..." Kagome said softly, knowing that it was a daring move. "You're in there, Koga. I know you are."

Koga, who had been trying to remove her skirt, hesitated. But he soon continued and was about to rip her skirt off entirely when she thrust her knee straight up into his sensitive spot. He released her instantly and fell over in pain. Kagome did not take this opportunity for granted. She leapt up and began to run out of the cave when she heard him get up and growl in anger. She then heard him coming after her. She came up with a quick plan and dived into Ginta's lap, waking the sleeping wolf demon impetuously. "Huh? What's going on? Oh, Sister Kagome."

"Hi, Ginta." Kagome said, hiding the mark on the left side of her neck. Luckily for her, it was dark inside the cave due to the fire going out and Ginta did not notice the blood coming from her lip. "I was just wondering if you would take me back to Kaede's village."

Ginta looked surprised. "Um...couldn't Koga take you?"

Kagome gulped, which Ginta did not see. She needed to come up with something and quick. "Well...I would like to get to know you a little better...you know. We haven't really talked that much since we met." She forced her best smile, hoping that he would by it.

"All right. I guess it wouldn't hurt. And on my way back, Koga, I'll catch some more fish." Ginta said, standing up and stretching.

Kagome did not dare to look back at Koga. She was too afraid and thought that he would attack Ginta for trying to get her out of there -- even though he had no idea of their earlier situation. But to her surprise, Koga simply said, "Hurry back. And be careful."

"Sure thing." Ginta said, heading out of the cave. Kagome risked a glance back at Koga. He had sat down and was glaring at her.

"This isn't finished." He growled. "I'm not done with you."

Kagome's eyes widened and her heart began slamming against her chest once more.

"Sister Kagome? Are you coming?" Ginta called.

"Y-Yeah," she managed, even though her mouth felt as dry as a desert. "I'm on my way." She stared into Koga's blue eyes for another moment before turning and running out of the cave after Ginta. She could feel those blue eyes boring into her back until she disappeared into the thick fog that had rolled in after the rain.

----------

"Let me go look for her, damn it!" Inuyasha cursed. "I have to find her!"

Kaede sighed. "Ye need to be patient and rest. Those wounds have yet to recover, since ye just became injured." She took a sip of her tea. Even though it was late, they had stayed up to tend to Inuyasha's wounds and wait for any sign of Kagome's return. No sign had come.

"Kaede is right," Miroku agreed. "Sango and I will go looking for Kagome while you get some rest and try to recover."

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah right! These are just flesh wounds. Nothing to be concerned about."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Is that why we found you unconscious in a puddle of your own blood?"

Inuyasha growled, but didn't reply.

"Besides," Miroku went on. "I don't think Kagome would like to see you in your injured state. She hates it when you get hurt. Try to rest and see if the bleeding will stop. All of this ranting and pacing has gotten your wounds bleeding more profusely."

Inuyasha glanced down at his halfway bare chest. The only things covering his chest were bandages and they were already halfway soaked with crimson liquid. "So what? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"True." Kaede said. "But in order for ye to get stronger, ye need rest. So lie down and rest!"

Inuyasha ignored her and sniffed the air. His eyes grew large and he leapt up and raced out of the hut. "It's Kagome!"

Kagome was walking alone since she told Ginta that she would be all right by herself since it was only a little ways away. She had a terrible headache and bad cramps and was desperately wishing that she had her medicine. But what hurt most of all was her heart. Koga had hurt her, all in an attempt of selfish gain. She gulped back a sob.

'What is Inuyasha going to do when he finds out? Koga marked me! What am I supposed to do now?'

Kagome stumbled over a rock and fell to her knees. She shivered as a chill coursed up her spine. Her eyes began to water when she thought about the pain from his slap, the stinging from his mark. It had stopped bleeding and had crusted over. But she was more concerned about Koga's threat before she had left. She climbed to her feet and began walking on.

'He said that he wasn't finished with me. What does he have planned? I hope he's not going to...no, he can't! He just can't. I thought he was my friend. I thought that he loved me enough to never hurt me. But it was his instincts...I'm so confused.'

"Kagome!" A distant, familiar voice shouted. "Kagome? Where are you?"

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha! I'm over here!" She raced to where she had last heard the sound and seen Inuyasha walking through the fog. When he seen her, he stopped.

"Kagome, are you all right?"

'I got myself into another mess. What's Inuyasha going to do? I hope he doesn't get mad...'

"Kagome?" Inuyasha took a step forward.

'I thought I could trust him...now he's after me. He's not done with me yet. How could I have let this happen?'

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Inuyasha wanted to know. "Where have you been?" He suddenly growled. "You were with that wolf, weren't you?"

Kagome felt the tears brimming at her eyes. He was angry already and he didn't even know. Without warning, she flung herself at Inuyasha and he caught her against his chest. She was sobbing against him. "Kagome..."

"Inuyasha...I'm so sorry!" She cried. "It's all my fault! I'm sorry..."

Inuyasha looked puzzled, but relaxed and smiled a little. "If you're talking about the demon, then don't be sorry. It was all my fault."

Kagome pulled away from him and kept the mark hidden. "No...not that." She heard Inuyasha gasp and realized that he seen her face.

"Kagome, what happened to you? Did that demon hurt you?"

Kagome flinched and continued to cry silently. "No..."

Inuyasha reached up and cupped her chin with his hand and turned her to face him. She had jumped as soon as he had touched her skin. "What happened, Kagome?"

The young girl gulped and decided to go ahead and tell him. "Koga...did this to me." She did not dare to look over at the half demon. She heard him growling in indignation and that told her to keep her eyes off of him.

"What else did he do?" Inuyasha demanded heatedly. But she could tell that he was more concerned about her than anything else.

"This." Kagome replied, turning and moving her hair to reveal the mark. It was dry and was bruised.

Inuyasha looked away, shaking in anger. His bangs had come down and were hiding his eyes from her. She touched his arm and he jerked it out of her grasp. "Just...leave me alone!"

Kagome pulled her hand back as if she had been burned. "Inuyasha..." she began sobbing again. "I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know what he was going to do. He saved me from that demon and took me to his cave where Ginta and Hikkaku were sleeping. He told me to rest and that if you came by, he'd wake me up and let me go with you, but..." she trailed off.

"I guess he had other plans." Inuyasha said, his voice low.

Kagome stared at him for a moment, the tears still falling. "He's not finished with me yet!" She cried. "I woke Ginta up before he could do anything to me and when Ginta wasn't paying attention, Koga told me that it wasn't over and he wasn't finished with me..."

An awkward and sad silence followed Kagome's last sentence. Inuyasha did not want to say anything and neither did Kagome, since she was too busy sobbing. But after a while, Kagome whispered, "I'm afraid, Inuyasha. It's all my fault I got into this, but I'm scared. You have a right to be angry with me. But...please, tell me what's going to happen next."

Inuyasha turned to face her and said, "I don't know, Kagome. And this isn't your fault. You had no idea. It's all his fault and I'm gonna make him pay for what he did." He seen Kagome trembling and he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly. "Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you again."

Kagome looked down and continued to cry. They remained like that for a while, neither moving except for when Kagome's body wracked from sobs. But it was all right with her. Inuyasha was comforting her, but no matter how much he tried, she continued to have the same thoughts.

'It's all because of me. I'm stuck in this mess and Koga isn't done yet. I don't know if Inuyasha can really keep his promise and keep Koga away from me. What if he can't? What will I do then?'

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Note- There we go! Whoa, that was the longest chapter I ever wrote! My arm is tired, people. Anyway, tell me what you think and a review would be totally awesome. I am taking ideas, so you can send them in as well.


	2. Fears

Because Of You

Summary- It's Kagome's 'Time of the month' again. On a stormy night when a demon attacks, Kagome gets separated from Inuyasha and Koga rescues her and brings her to his cave. Could this rescue turn out to be the worst thing that ever happened to Kagome, Koga and Inuyasha? Loyalties will be put to the test and anger will rise, as the tension grows thick. What happens to cause all of this violence and hatred and mistrust?

Chapter Two

Fears

A pair of lustful blue eyes bore into Kagome's fearful brown ones as Koga pinned her down and smirked. "I know you want this," he growled.

"No, I don't!" Kagome shrieked, trying to wriggle free. But his grip was like iron. "Please let me go!"

"Why should I?" Koga demanded. His smirk was replaced with a scowl. "So you can run crying to mutt-face? Why should he get you? Why can't I have you?"

"I belong to Inuyasha!" Kagome cried. "Not to you. You were a good friend, Koga. But now...I don't know."

Koga's lips curled up into a grin. "You don't belong to Inuyasha." He began to dig his claws into Kagome's upper arms. "I own you."

"Koga...stop! Let go! You're hurting me!" Kagome squirmed underneath him, but her attempts were all in vain. "Stop, please. I'm begging you."

"I own you. And once we get what we want, nothing will be able to change that." Koga snarled, ignoring her pleas.

"What are you...talking about?" Kagome asked in confusion as she blinked up at him. He still hadn't released her and was still digging his claws into her, but she was more concerned about what he was telling her.

"I marked you, remember? You're all mine. I'll kill that mutt if I have to just to get what I want." Koga said.

"No...don't do this. You can have other people...why me?" Kagome asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I love you, that's why."

Kagome narrowed her eyes up at him. "You don't love me. If you did, you wouldn't be doing this!"

Koga growled and began digging his claws deeper into her arms. "I'll have to show you how much I love you, now won't I?" He then ripped her skirt off and leaned down and kissed her, pulling her shirt off as he did so.

"No!" Kagome shrieked as she sat up, sweating. She was gasping heavily, trying to get some air back into her lungs. Her heart was racing and she was trembling.

"Kagome?" Sango asked, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder, causing her to flinch. "Are you all right?"

Kagome sighed in evident relief. "Yeah...it was just a nightmare."

"Are you sure you're ok?" Sango asked, seeming to pry into Kagome's life. "You're sweating and you were mumbling and screaming in your sleep. What's the matter?"

Kagome gulped and looked around the small hut room. Miroku and Shippo were sound asleep and Kaede was probably in another room asleep. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"He's outside." Sango answered softly. "He seemed a little upset earlier. He would hardly talk and didn't even hit Shippo in the head for his smart remark. Do you know what's wrong with him? He seemed fine before he went off to get you and then he came back all depressed."

Kagome sighed and shifted uncomfortably in her sleeping bag. She could hardly remember what happened after she told Inuyasha in that clearing about what happened. She remembered that she was sobbing and that he was embracing her, but then it was all faint after that. She must have fallen asleep and he brought her back and put her to bed. "Did he bring me back?"

"Yes, you were sleeping in his arms. But you looked like you had been crying." Sango turned her body to face her in order to look her friend in the eyes. "Did...something happen between you and Inuyasha?"

Kagome glanced away before turning back to Sango. "Yeah...but it was only because of what happened earlier."

"Something happened earlier?" Sango inquired, cocking her head in confusion. "Do you mean with the demon that attacked?"

Kagome shook her heard. "No."

"Then...what happened?"

Kagome took in a deep breath. She could trust Sango. She was her best friend, after all. She wouldn't do anything to hurt her, unlike a certain someone. "After the demon attacked Inuyasha, which was really unfair since he snuck up on us and hit Inuyasha with a cheap shot to the back, I ran away like Inuyasha told me to. And I got lost and the demon was after me. Koga saved me and brought me to his cave. He said that if Inuyasha came by, he'd wake me up and let me go with him. But..." Kagome shuddered as the memory flooded back to her.

"But? Kagome, what happened?" Sango touched Kagome's shoulder tenderly.

"He...he tried to rape me. He marked me." Kagome moved her hair and turned to give Sango a view of the bruise on her neck.

Sango's eyes widened, "How did you get away?"

"I got him off of me and woke up one of his pack mates, you know, Ginta?"

Sango nodded.

"I told him that I wanted him to bring me back here. He said he would and walked out of the cave and I looked at Koga and he said that he wasn't finished with me yet." Kagome hugged herself tightly.

"Oh, Kagome. I'm so sorry." Sango pulled her friend into a tight hug. "If there's anything I can do, let me know."

"I will."

"Why do you think Koga attacked you like that?" Sango wondered aloud. She placed a hand on her chin to show that she was thinking.

Kagome looked down at the floor, her hair hiding her face. "It's my time of the month, that's why."

Sango looked up at her. "Oh, I see. It was his demonic instincts, wasn't it? He couldn't control himself."

"Yeah. I know." Kagome murmured softly. "I'm going outside to talk to Inuyasha, all right?"

"Sure." Sango said, lying back down. Kagome had made it to the doorway when Sango called her name. Kagome turned around to see what Sango wanted. "Be careful."

Kagome managed a weak smile. "I will." Then she walked outside into the early morning air. It was still foggy and it was so humid that Kagome began to sweat once more. "Inuyasha?" She called softly.

"I'm over here," a faint voice called.

Kagome followed it until she reached the base of a tree. She looked up into the thick branches and seen Inuyasha. He was perched up high with his arms folded across his chest. "Hey, how are ya?"

She heard him snort and seen him look away. "Why are you asking me if I'm ok? I wasn't the one who was messed with."

"Well," she said, sitting down on the ground, even though it was wet. "You _did _get hurt from that demon, remember?"

"Feh." Inuyasha muttered. "That was nothing. I'm almost healed already."

Kagome smiled. Same old Inuyasha with the same old attitude. He never changed. But she did see a side of him earlier that night that she hardly saw. He was jealous and angry at first when she told him, but then he changed his mood to comfort her. It was a very rare thing to witness, but it was also amazing at the same time. "That's good. I'm glad you're all right."

An awkward silence followed after her last sentence. Kagome gazed out into the thick fog that surrounded them. It was so thick that you could probably cut it with a knife. She turned her eyes up toward the sky and seen that the clouds were still there from the night before. It looked as if it were going to rain again.

"Kagome?"

Inuyasha's voice broke her from her stare. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry about all of this." His voice was extremely soft, which was almost unusual for someone such as Inuyasha.

Kagome smiled gently. "It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."

No response came from the half dog demon that sat up in the tree. A few moments passed, which gave Kagome some time to think.

'I wonder what will happen now. I know Inuyasha's upset, but I don't know what to do to cheer him up. Maybe he'll come around.'

"I could've done something." Inuyasha went on. "I should have protected you."

"You were hurt. And it's no big deal really." Kagome said. She knew that it was, in fact, a major deal. "I'm fine, so please don't worry about me."

Without warning, Inuyasha leapt down in front of her, startling her. "No big deal?" He demanded. "Kagome, it _is _a big deal! He marked you, all right?"

Kagome peered up into his amber eyes. She didn't know what to say to his sudden outburst. She hated that word. _Marked. _What did it really mean, anyway? Did it mean that she was his forever, until they died? No, it couldn't have been it. Koga had said that he wasn't finished with her. Did that mean that there was something else he needed to do to make her completely his? If so, what was it?

She turned her gaze away and looked at the ground. Her hair fell and hid her face. "Inuyasha...could you tell me about markings and what they mean?"

Inuyasha flinched. "Um..."

She looked up at him. "I really want to know. I'm so confused right now."

"Well...There's several different types of mates and claims." Inuyasha said uneasily. She could tell that this was hard for him.

"What types of claims?" She wanted to know.

Inuyasha gulped, but when on explaining. "There's the scent claim. It's where a demon imprints its scent on a female to let other demons know that she is his intended, you know. Then there's the marking. And then the actual...mating."

"What's the difference between the claims?" Kagome asked.

"Well...demons make scent claims all the time." He blushed and turned away. "I, um...never mind. Anyway, demons make several different scent claims on different females until they choose one to mark. Marking is exactly what Koga did to you. It imprints his scent on you like a scent claim, but it doesn't heal as easily as normal bruises."

Kagome looked down at the ground. This was almost confusing, but she was with him so far. And what had he been going to say before he told her never mind? "Can any of these claims be...broken?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Well, sure. Scent claims are broken all the time, since they are made so easily. Marking is way more serious. It can be broken by rejecting the marker's claim. The bruise would heal over time. Or another demon can challenge the marker for the right to mate with the female, or just mate with the female without fighting at all. After they actually mate, it can't be broken until one of them dies."

Kagome gulped. She was beginning to perceive the situation. Koga had wanted to mate with her to make it official. If he _had _done it, it wouldn't have been broken until either one of them died. She suddenly felt sick. She placed a hand onto her stomach and placed another hand on her temple.

"Kagome, are you all right?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." She groaned. "I need to go home and get my medicine."

Inuyasha lifted her up without so much as a second thought and ran towards the well. "Let's go get it then." He leapt into the well and they were instantly enveloped by an ominous purplish light.

----------

Kagome and Inuyasha walked out of the shrine and into the humid, damp morning air. A few birds were chirping and everything was subtle. Inuyasha jumped up onto Kagome's balcony and she got it open and they went inside. There was no sign of any of her family members being awake.

Kagome shuffled through some of her belongings as Inuyasha sat on her bed, waiting patiently -- or it seemed like he was being patient, anyway. "Ah, found it!" Kagome said blissfully, holding onto a small bottle. A wide smile spread across her face and she ran to the bathroom.

Inuyasha stared after her and she reemerged after a few moments. "Are you done here?"

Kagome looked at him and smiled. "Could we stay for a little bit?"

Inuyasha growled and glared at her. "But you just came back yesterday!"

Kagome sighed. "I know...but I want to try and clear my head..."

Inuyasha observed her for a moment, almost as if he were looking into her soul -- the same soul that she shared with Kikyo. "That's not the only reason, is it?"

Kagome gulped. "What do you mean? Of course it's the only reason."

Inuyasha scoffed. "It's not and you know it. Stop lying to me, Kagome. You're afraid of him, aren't you? You want to stay here in order to get away from him. Am I right?"

Kagome turned away and smiled despite her sullen mood. He had figured it out, all right. "He said he wasn't finished with me, Inuyasha. Do you know what that means?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Duh, I'm not stupid. He plans on attacking again, but this time I won't let him anywhere near you, all right?"

Kagome only nodded, trying to stay confident. But the sickening feeling deep within her stomach wouldn't go away. She was scared, not only for her sake, but for Inuyasha's. What if he couldn't keep his promise and protect her? What if he failed and Koga got to her?

"Anyway," Inuyasha said, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm starving."

"Hang on and I'll fix you something to eat. Ramen, like usual?"

"Yeah."

Kagome turned and went downstairs and prepared some food for the both of them before bringing it all back up to her room. They began eating and watched the sunrise through Kagome's balcony window. The sky was ablaze with fiery red and beautiful orange. The colors were reflecting in Kagome's eyes as she stared out at the sky. She stopped eating -- suddenly not hungry -- and placed her bowl of food on her desk. She walked over to her bed and collapsed on top of it, sighing.

"You all right, Kagome?" Inuyasha wanted to know. He had finished his ramen and had tossed the empty container into the trashcan beside of her desk. He stood in the middle of her room and stared at her in concern.

"Yes...I'm just sleepy." She said with a yawn.

"Well, get some sleep. You had a rough night." Inuyasha said softly.

Kagome smiled and rolled over to look at him. "Come on. You should get some sleep, too." She moved over toward the wall to make more room for him.

Inuyasha was a little surprised at her offer, but folded his arms across his chest. "Keh, yeah right."

"Inuyasha, come on. You were up all night, too. Remember?" Kagome pleaded.

Inuyasha sighed and dropped his hands to his sides and crawled onto the bed next to Kagome. "Fine. I'll sleep for a little bit. You satisfied now?"

"Yep." Kagome replied, yawning again. She got comfortable and closed her eyes. An odd silence filled the room around them. Inuyasha felt somewhat uncomfortable, lying there, so close to Kagome. But it appeared as if she didn't mind -- or was she too tired to even notice their close proximity? Suddenly, she asked, "Inuyasha...do you remember when you were telling me about the markings?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You were about to say something, but you told me never mind. What were you about to say?" Kagome never once opened her eyes as she asked him this.

Inuyasha gulped. "Um...why do you wanna know?"

"I'm just curious." She answered quietly.

"Well, I was about to say that...I, um, had a scent claim on you before we met that fleabag." Inuyasha said uneasily, looking away.

Kagome's eyes shot open and she looked up at Inuyasha in shock. "You...did?" She seen Inuyasha nod, even though he wouldn't face her. "So I was...your intended?"

Inuyasha felt his face grow hot. Why did he have to go and slip up like that? Now she knew all about how he felt towards her. "Um...can we talk about this later?"

Kagome realized that he was very nervous and smiled gently. "Sure," she whispered. "We'll talk about it whenever you feel like it. Goodnight." She got comfortable once more and yawned before drifting off to sleep.

Inuyasha turned to look at her sleeping form. She knew that he had put a scent claim on her. She hadn't panicked when she found out, either. She simply accepted it.

He got comfortable and stared at her for a few moments. He would have to discuss it with her really soon, though it would not be an easy task. But he was prepared for it -- or he was pretty sure he was, anyway.

Yawning, he closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

----------

A fearful cry awoke Inuyasha a couple of hours later. He leapt up and scanned the room, prepared to attack anything that appeared to be a threat. But he turned to face Kagome when he felt her trembling next to him. "Kagome?"

Kagome continued to shake, but looked up at him. She was sweating and looked as if she had seen a ghost. "I'm sorry," she said softly. She had stopped shaking. "I didn't mean to wake you up with my nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Inuyasha inquired. "Don't tell me...they're about _him_,aren't they?"

Kagome winced at the malice in his voice. Inuyasha had hated Koga before and now he despised him with a passion. She was only afraid of him and what he had planned for her. "Yes, they're about Koga." She seen him clench his fists and grit his teeth when she said his name. The one thing that Inuyasha and Koga had in common was that they hated it when someone mentioned the other's name. "Don't be angry..."

Inuyasha dropped his hand to his side and sighed. "Kagome...he marked you and scared you really bad. He deserves to pay."

"That very well may be true." Kagome replied. "I just...I don't want you to kill him. Not until he does something worse. If he does, anyway."

"Don't want me to kill him?" Inuyasha demanded heatedly, jumping to his feet. "Kagome, look what he did to you!"

"I know," she said, sounding somewhat ashamed. She looked away. "Why do you care so much, anyway?" She had a pretty good idea what his true answer was.

Inuyasha sighed and fell back onto the bed. He busied himself with looking out of the balcony window. "Look...if he messes with you again, I'm killing him. That's it."

"All right." Kagome said softly. She settled back down onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Don't tell me you're planning on going back to sleep!" Inuyasha growled. "We have to get back."

Kagome sat up. "Fine. Come on, let's go back."

After Kagome had gotten her medicine, she climbed onto Inuyasha's back and they left and went through the well. When they emerged in the Feudal Era, Inuyasha leapt out swiftly and put Kagome on the ground, where they were instantly greeted by the others.

"Kagome!" Shippo cried, leaping into Kagome's arms. Kagome hugged the small fox child close to her chest.

"Where have you been?" Sango demanded. She raised an eyebrow.

"We went to her stupid era to get her medicine." Inuyasha said.

"You were there an awfully long time to just pick up some medicine." Miroku stated suspiciously.

"Relax, Miroku," Kagome spoke up, setting Shippo on the ground. "We decided to get some sleep while we were there. And we didn't do anything."

"I didn't say that you did." Miroku said defensively.

"You were implying it." Kagome shot back.

Sango chuckled and Miroku kept his mouth shut while they headed back to Kaede's village in order to get something to eat. Once they entered the old priestess's hut, Inuyasha plopped down against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Kagome sat next to him and Sango and Miroku sat near the fire where Kaede's was, stirring some soup.

"Ah," she said softly. "Just in time for some food."

Inuyasha snorted. "I ain't hungry."

Kagome sighed and looked away. He'd be hungry later on and would be looking through her pack for some food -- ramen, like always -- and would probably end up waking her up to get her to prepare it for him since he had no knowledge of how it was done. He rarely paid attention, after all.

"I'm hungry, Kaede," Shippo said, smiling.

"I'm glad, child." Kaede said tenderly. She treated Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo as if they were her flesh and blood, despite the fact that they did not resemble each other in both appearance and personality. "Have all that ye desire."

"Thank you, Kaede." Shippo said with a big smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha worriedly. He was staring into the orange fire and seemed to be deep in thought. Kagome was concerned about him. She knew that he was upset over the whole Koga-marking-her-and-not-being-finished-with-her thing and wanted to kill him. But she couldn't just stand there and allow Inuyasha to kill Koga, who had been a good friend and had protected her on more than one occasion. Even though she was still afraid of him -- and what he had in store for her -- she just couldn't let Inuyasha murder Koga. It wouldn't be right.

And there was still the fact that they had to continue their search for Naraku and the jewel shards. Kagome would not stop that quest because a crazed wolf demon was chasing after her. She was the one who shattered the jewel, after all. It would be her to try and put it back together.

Without warning, something dawned on Kagome and she gasped. Inuyasha turned to look at her curiously. "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome gulped and tore her gaze from the fire in order to look into Inuyasha's amber eyes. "No, I'm not..."

"What is it, Kagome?" Sango asked worriedly. She had rose to her feet and was peering at Kagome in concern.

"Inuyasha...do you remember that demon that attacked us last night?" Kagome asked, even though her mouth had gone as dry as a desert.

"Yeah." Inuyasha answered gruffly. "What about him?"

"His jewel shard..." Kagome murmured. "When Koga killed him, he kept the shard. I don't have it! He does..."

Inuyasha leapt up angrily. "Why that mangy bastard. I'll really kill him for this!" With that said, Inuyasha raced out of the hut, Kagome screaming after him to stop. "No, don't!" She cried, chasing after him.

"Sango, do you know what is going on? Inuyasha and Kagome have been acting strange lately." Miroku looked at the demon slayer.

"Oh, nothing is going on," Sango said, as nonchalantly as she could. "Let's just go get Inuyasha before he gets himself hurt." She then turned and ran out of the hut with her Hiraikotsu.

"You know, Shippo," Miroku said irritably. "I have a feeling that no one wants me to know anything..."

"Who knows?" The fox child asked. "Let's just go." They raced out of the hut after Inuyasha and the others.

"Inuyasha, come back!" Kagome cried. He was running too fast and was leaving her behind and she had no idea where she was. As he disappeared into the thick, foggy night air, Kagome came to a stop and looked around nervously. If Koga was anywhere near there, he probably would have already came out after smelling her blood and everything. That's what happened last time.

"Inuyasha, where are you?" She called out timidly. "Come on, you don't need to mess with Koga!" She ran around blindly, trying to find her way through the dark woods, desperately searching for Inuyasha. "Inuyasha?" The only response she received was the call of an owl somewhere. She stood in the middle of the woods and spun around in circles, trying to find any familiar sign of life. Her attempts were all in vain.

But Kagome sensed four shards coming at an incredible speed. Realizing who it was, she tried to run, but a twister stopped in front of her, causing her to skid to a halt. She looked up fearfully and saw Koga. He was smirking. "Well, Kagome. How'd you get separated from the others?"

"That's none of your business!" Kagome shouted.

"Hostile. Don't tell me you're still upset with me." Koga's grin grew larger. "If you're not now, you might be later."

Kagome's eyes widened. "No, Koga. Don't do this!" She took a step back.

Koga reached out and seized her upper arms and pulled her close to him, slamming his lips against hers. Kagome was trying to pull away, but he placed a hand on the back of her head to keep her in one place. She was squirming in his iron grip, but she couldn't escape. He would not let her. She realized that he was going to try and finish what he started...

And no one was there to save her...

Her nightmares were becoming reality, right before her very eyes. And she couldn't escape...

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Note- There! End of Chapter Two! How was it? I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading and now, all you have to do is review! Thanks!

Demonic Miko


	3. Rescue

Because Of You

Summary- It's Kagome's 'Time of the month' again. On a stormy night when a demon attacks, Kagome gets separated from Inuyasha and Koga rescues her and brings her to his cave. Could this rescue turn out to be the worst thing that ever happened to Kagome, Koga and Inuyasha? Loyalties will be put to the test and anger will rise, as the tension grows thick. What happens to cause all of this violence and hatred and mistrust?

Chapter Three

Rescue

Koga pulled his lips away from Kagome's and looked deep into her eyes. "How about we go back to my cave where it will be a little more...private?"

Kagome wriggled in his arms. "Koga please let me go."

"No, you'll only run back to that damn mutt-face." Koga cursed with a scowl. "And I can't have you doing that, now can I?"

"But Ginta and Hikkaku are at the cave, right?" Kagome asked, hoping that he would realize that they were and release her and threaten her that he would finish what he had started at a later time. But he never answered. He continued to smirk down at her, as his iron grip seemed to tighten around her upper arms. Kagome's eyes widened and she inhaled slowly. "They're dead, aren't they? You killed them, didn't you?"

"I knew you would figure it out." Koga said with a triumphant grin. "You're smart and I knew I could never keep anything from you. It'll still be that way when we're together."

"There's the problem, Koga," she said softly, pulling her arms in an attempt to break free from him. "We're not going to be together."

"That's what you think." Koga replied, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder as if she were luggage. "I'll have to make you mine so no one else can have you."

Kagome began kicking her feet against his chest and slamming her fists into his back, squealing like a little kid. "Put me down! You don't want to do this and we both know it! Koga, please, don't do it!"

Koga suddenly sped off, faster than the last time due to the extra jewel shard, and was obviously headed for the cave. "Correction, I _want _to do this. And you're going to cooperate." Koga said as he continued to run, kicking up dust behind him.

Kagome had to occasionally shield her eyes from dirt that kept flying up into her face. "What makes you think I'm going to cooperate? I don't even want this! Inuyasha is gonna kill you for this!"

Koga came skidding to an abrupt halt. "Don't even talk about that bastard around me. After I'm done with you, I'm going to finish him off since I guess I'm the only one who can. And you and I can hunt for jewel shards and kill Naraku together. Doesn't that sound fun?" He continued running.

"Depends on what your definition of fun is." Kagome muttered, watching as the forest whizzed by them in a dusty blur. She knew that Inuyasha would pick up on Koga's scent and follow it. If not, he probably would realize her noticeable absence and go to investigate. She just prayed that he didn't come too late. There was nothing she could do to get Koga to let go of her, seeing as he had four shards and was a full demon. He was just too strong.

They came upon the cave and Koga carried her inside, all the way to the back, before dropping her onto the ground. "Ow!" She cried as her tailbone came in contact with the cave floor. There would be a definite bruise. "You could have been a little more gentle!"

Not hearing any response, Kagome looked up to see Koga looking down at her, his eyes distant. But they held lust and desire. It appeared as if he were preparing to pounce on her and take her immediately. And it also looked as if he were trying to hold himself back at the same time.

Pulling her gaze away from the wolf demon, Kagome gasped when her eyes landed on two carcasses that were lying a few feet away. Crimson stains covered the cave bottom and spotted the bones and flesh. "Please don't tell me that's..." she looked away and covered her mouth. "Oh, God. How could you?"

"The wolves wouldn't eat them, so I had no choice but to leave them there. I'll get rid of them later." Koga said lowly, ignoring her question.

"Why can't you get rid of them now?" Kagome asked. She was now trembling in fear as she peered up at Koga in horror. She was shaking and felt sick. He was going crazy. Kagome had thought that it had been bad the other night when he marked her. It was definitely bad now since he murdered his own pack mates. Maybe he needed someone to take his frustrations out on. Or maybe he killed them because Ginta had helped her and when he tried to kill Ginta, Hikkaku might have stepped in. She had no idea of how everything unfolded and she was pretty sure she didn't want to find out.

"I can't get rid of them now," Koga said, "because I have things to do here and now." His blue eyes bore into Kagome's scared form and he knelt down on his knees until he was eyes level with her. "Things that -- I'm sure you know already -- deal with you."

"But I thought that wolves treat one another like family!" Kagome cried, tears in her eyes. "You were supposed to be hunting Naraku down in order to avenge your pack, not kill the rest of them off!"

Koga snorted. "What do you care?"

"Believe it or not, I was their friend!" Kagome sobbed. "And you killed them."

"Big deal." Koga growled. "You have other friends."

"That just proves that you don't love me!" Kagome yelled as the tears fell down her cheeks. "If you truly loved me, you wouldn't have killed them. You wouldn't be doing this. And you wouldn't have taken the jewel shard for yourself."

"Well, I needed extra strength." Koga said, shoving Kagome down onto her back. "Now let's finish what we started."

Kagome just lie there, trembling and sobbing. She didn't know what to do or say. What _could _she do to try and get through to him? He was long gone, away from reality, it seemed. He marked her, stole another jewel shard, and murdered Ginta and Hikkaku. And he was now lying on top of her, kissing her neck gently. She shuddered, but did not try to shove him off, knowing that it would be in vain. He was much stronger than she was and the lust within him was making him stronger.

He put his left hand on her thigh and worked his way up her skirt while his other hand tugged at her shirt. Kagome began sobbing harder as his hand slid up her shirt. Koga kissed her mouth and went down her neck. Kagome had no idea what to do. She wanted him off of her, but she wasn't sure if she should move. He had the strength to hurt her and in the crazed state of mind that he was in, he probably would, too.

He was about to rip her shirt off when a loud, angry voice shouted, "Get off her, you rotten bastard!"

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha standing a couple feet away, holding his sword with one hand. He was glaring at Koga menacingly. Relief washed through Kagome when Koga got off of her and stood to face Inuyasha. It was almost as if they were challenging one another. "Well, mutt-face," Koga snarled. "It looks like I'll have to kill you sooner than I thought. Hang tight, Kagome. This won't take long."

Koga then lunged for Inuyasha, who dodged his kick and followed up with a swing of his sword. That attack missed as well and Koga took this opportunity to punch Inuyasha in the stomach, causing the half demon to fall to one knee. Koga then kicked Inuyasha in the face, sending him crashing into a wall of the cave. Rocks fell down on top of him and he disappeared under the rubble. Kagome stood up and desperately scanned the pile of rocks for any sign of Inuyasha. More tears made their way down her face. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, where are you?"

"Forget about him, Kagome." Koga said, turning around to stare at the young girl. "He was worthless. I'm much better and stronger and more able to protect you."

"No, that isn't true!" Kagome shrieked daringly. It took a lot of guts, but she did it anyway.

Koga growled and clenched his fists as he approached her. "What'd you say?"

Kagome gulped and took a step back, but he grabbed her wrists and jerked her close to him. "Don't you ever call me a liar again, do you understand me?" He demanded. Kagome said nothing.

"Get your filthy hands off of her, you mangy wolf." Inuyasha jumped out of the rubble with a grunt and charged for Koga. The wolf demon saw him coming and put Kagome in front of him as a shield. Inuyasha stopped abruptly and cursed out loud. Kagome stared into Inuyasha's amber eyes as he stood in front of her, looking her over to make sure that she was unharmed. Her face was dirty and tearstained, but no blood.

Koga smirked and tossed Kagome to the side, causing her to hit the cave wall, and lunged at Inuyasha, who was unprepared for the sneak attack. Koga gave a swift kick to Inuyasha's jaw before landing a punch in Inuyasha's stomach. The half demon fell to his knees and gasped in air. When Koga came down to kick him in the head, Inuyasha rolled out of the way and the attack barely missed. Koga had kicked a hole in the ground.

Inuyasha sliced his sword across Koga's chest before dodging another blow directed at him. They stood in a battle stance, breathing hard and glaring at one another. It looked as if they were both headed for each other's throats when a voice called out, "Inuyasha!"

Kagome, Inuyasha, and Koga turned to find Miroku, Sango, and Shippo standing near them, watching in fear and confusion. Koga growled in annoyance and turned to Inuyasha. "This isn't finished, half breed. I'll kill you another time. And take Kagome." Then he sped off.

"Oh no, get back here!" Inuyasha shouted, starting to run after him.

"Inuyasha, no." Kagome whispered. "Sit."

Inuyasha fell and ate some dirt. "Damn it! Kagome, I have to kill him! Look at what he did to you...or what he was trying to do!"

"Not right now," Kagome begged. "Please. You're hurt and..."

Inuyasha pushed himself up. "And?"

Kagome flung herself against his chest. "I'm scared, Inuyasha. I don't want you to leave." She sobbed.

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he put his sword in its sheath before lifting Kagome up bridal style. "All right, I won't go after him. But he's got to pay sooner or later."

Kagome sniffled. "I know...he killed Ginta and Hikkaku."

Sango and Shippo gasped and Miroku went inside the cave to say a prayer for the fallen wolves. When Miroku was finished, he, Sango, and Shippo got on Kilala and they went off to the hut. Inuyasha followed after with Kagome in his arms, but he was walking instead of running.

"Inuyasha...are you mad at me?" Kagome asked softly as she continued to cry silently.

"No. Why would I be?" He wanted to know.

"You have to go through all of this mess because of me."

"It's not your fault, Kagome." Inuyasha continued walking. They were nearing the village and the sun was beginning to set, causing the sky to shine with fiery red and orange. "He just went crazy. It's not your fault that he let his instincts get the better of him. So don't worry about it."

Kagome rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. "I'm still scared."

Inuyasha glanced down at her worriedly. Even though he didn't plan on admitting it, he hated it when she was scared. He wanted to make sure that she felt safe so then he wouldn't be so uptight and concerned about her. He didn't want her worrying herself over anything. "Don't worry, Kagome." He said gently. "I won't let him hurt you."

"All right." She whispered. She wasn't sure if she could stand it if she had to watch Inuyasha kill Koga. Even after everything he did, he had once been a good friend and had saved her life many times. For that, she was grateful to him. But for everything else, she was terrified of him. She didn't want to become his mate. She didn't want to have to mate with him. In fact, she didn't want to have anything to do with Koga.

----------

Kagome was sitting right outside the door to Kaede's hut, gazing up at the star-filled sky. Ginta's face kept haunting her thoughts. She kept thinking about when he had brought her back to Kaede's. He had seemed so happy and was being so nice. He had saved her from danger and hadn't even known it...until he was murdered. But maybe then he hadn't even known. Koga probably didn't tell him why he was killing him and just went on and done it. And Hikkaku probably tried to interfere and save his brother and shared the same fate.

'I don't understand. I thought that wolves treated one another like family. Koga slaughtered his own brothers. Was it because Ginta had helped me get away or was it because he was angry and needed something -- or someone -- to take his frustrations out on?'

Kagome shivered as a slight breeze wafted through her hair. The mark on her neck was still hurting and was still bruised. She just wished that -- impossible as it was -- she could go back in time and do something different in order to save herself sooner. She had been stupid and blind. She should have known what was going to happen. But she hadn't and just ended up hurting herself and Inuyasha and got herself in another mess.

Koga was still after her and had marked her. Inuyasha was a little upset and had confessed that she had been his intended mate before they had met Koga. Kagome was confused, afraid, and sad all at once. But another feeling was burning within her. She felt anger and hatred. She wanted to march up to Koga and hit him and demand in his face why he killed Ginta and Hikkaku. She hadn't been able to do it before because she wasn't angry. She had been immobilized by fear and shock.

'He killed them. For no good reason. They're dead now and they were innocent. What did they do to deserve such a fate? I know...I asked Ginta to help me, and he did. It's all because of me that they're dead. It's all my fault.'

As she was thinking these things through, Kagome couldn't keep the hot tears from making their salty way down her cheeks. She sniffled and hugged her knees to her chest before settling her head on her knees. She sobbed quietly for a while in misery and shame. As she cried, she mentally blamed herself over and over numerous times until she felt as if she could cry no more.

"Kagome?"

The young girl lifted her heard up at the mention of her name to find her friend Sango. She was standing beside of her, peering down in concern and curiosity. Kagome tried to wipe the tears away. "Oh, it's you, Sango."

The demon slayer sat next to Kagome. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Kagome lied.

"Something has to be wrong if you're crying like this." Sango pointed out.

Kagome managed to smile, despite her sullen mood. "Just thinking."

"About what?" Sango ventured deeper. But her concern never faded.

"Ginta and Hikkaku." Kagome answered truthfully. "Koga murdered them for no reason."

Sango sighed. "I know. It's very tragic that they had to die at the hands of their own leader, friend, and brother."

"It was all because of me." Kagome whispered hoarsely.

Sango's eyes widened. "No it isn't Kagome. You shouldn't put the blame on yourself."

"But it _is _because of me." Kagome protested, gazing at the moon. More clouds were beginning to set in for another shower. "Either Koga was frustrated because he didn't get what he wanted and had to take his frustrations out on something -- or someone. Or he was angry because Ginta had helped me and killed him and Hikkaku interfered and he died, too. But in both cases, it's my fault that they're dead."

"It was Ginta's choice to help you." Sango said softly.

"He didn't know that I was trying to escape from Koga!" Kagome shouted. "I managed to convince him to take me back. It's my fault."

"Kagome..." Sango placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know this is tough. For both you and Inuyasha. He hasn't shown it much, but he's really depressed."

An odd silence followed Sango's sentence. Neither had nothing to say and just sat in one another's presence for a while as the sky grew dark with the rain clouds that filled it. The wind began to pick up and blow roughly. But it felt good against the humid air.

"I know he's depressed." Kagome admitted. "He told me earlier today that I was his intended mate before we met Koga."

Sango gasped. "Really?"

Kagome nodded. "Yep. He told me about all of the claims of demons. There's the scent claim, which isn't as serious. It lets other demons know that the female is another demon's intended."

Another silence followed. But Kagome suddenly spoke up with a confession. "To be honest," she began quietly. "I'm glad Inuyasha had a claim on me, no matter how small it may have been."

Sango laughed lightly. "I bet."

Kagome frowned. "I just wish Koga hadn't marked me and none of this ever happened."

"I know." Sango said knowingly. "But you can't undo what has been done."

Kagome sighed. "But...there has to be something that I can do to make it better, right?"

"I don't really know, Kagome." Sango answered sadly. "If there was anything, I would say go for it. I don't really know anything about demon marking and mating. Maybe Inuyasha will come up with something later."

"Maybe." Kagome agreed sullenly. "I hope so. And if he does, I hope it's soon."

Sango stood up. "You and me both."

Kagome managed a smile and stood up. She followed Sango back into the hut where Miroku and Kaede were talking. Inuyasha was leaning against a wall far away from the others and Shippo was sleeping soundly beside of Kagome's sleeping bag. The fire was flickering bright orange and casting a dull, eerie light in the room. Kagome went and sat next to Inuyasha back in the back while Sango took a place next to Miroku. The two had grown much closer since they first met.

"Inuyasha," Kagome asked. She knew that they were far away from the others and could have a private conversation. "Are you all right?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Of course I'm all right. Koga didn't hurt me as bad as I hurt him."

Kagome smiled despite herself. "I wasn't talking about that."

Inuyasha's dog-ears twitched and he peered at her in befuddlement. "What were you talking about?"

"I was talking about the mark." Kagome replied. "You're upset about it, aren't you?"

Inuyasha's face reddened visibly and he folded his arms across his chest. He turned to face another direction. "Of course not. What makes you say that?" He demanded.

Kagome sighed. "It's obvious. Even Sango can tell."

"Feh." Was the only response she received, however. But it was fine with her. She had had a trying day and was extremely tired. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against Inuyasha's shoulder, and he jumped when she suddenly pressed against him. He did not say anything and she soon relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

----------

Kagome awoke and found herself squinting into harsh sunlight. She blinked until she became used to it and peered around the empty room. She was in her sleeping bag and the room seemed like a ghost town with no one in sight.

'How did I end up in my sleeping bag? I thought I was sleeping next to Inuyasha. Maybe he put me here earlier.'

Kagome stretched with a yawn and slipped her shoes on before walking outside. The sun was shining brightly and it seemed like a perfect day for searching for jewel shards or perhaps relaxing in a cool stream. But knowing Miroku, he'd look Sango up at down if she were to borrow a bathing suit from Kagome. And Inuyasha probably wouldn't want to waste time and would get angry.

"Inuyasha?" She called, looking up into any nearby trees. There was no sign of him and it didn't appear as if he had been in them recently.

"Kaede?" She looked in the herb garden and did not see the old priestess anywhere.

"Sango? Miroku, Shippo?" Kagome continued to look, but none of her friends were anywhere to be found, it seemed. Even the villagers were gone.

"Where are you guys?" She asked no one in particular. She had walked into the woods on the outskirts of the village and had been looking around for any signs of them, but there was nothing.

Sighing, Kagome sullenly turned back to the village. She was concerned about the whereabouts of her friends and the villagers. Did they have to go somewhere to slay a demon?

'What is going on? Where did everybody go?'

"Well, Kagome," a voice snickered behind her. "Looks like you're all alone and all mine."

Kagome spun around and, to her horror, found Koga. "What do you _want?" She asked hotly. _

He took a step toward her, ignoring her demand. "Everyone is dead."

Kagome's eyes widened. "You're lying!"

Koga smirked at her presumption. "Am I? Everyone is dead and those who aren't ran away in fear. But every one of your pals are dead."

"I don't believe you." Kagome said, her voice shaking.

Koga shrugged. "Fine, I'll show you." He took a step toward her, but she backed away. "If you want me to prove it to you, then you'll come with me."

"I'll walk on my own, thanks." Kagome hissed.

Koga turned and walked deeper into the forest and Kagome reluctantly followed after. She just had to see for herself if he had been telling the truth or if he had been lying. The trees began to space out into a clearing covered in grass that reached up to Kagome's waist. He suddenly stopped and turned to face her. "I'm warning you," he said seriously. "It's not a pretty sight."

Kagome pushed him aside and her breath hitched in her throat. There, in the grass, were the mutilated bodies of her friends, lying in a sea of crimson liquid. They had obviously fought in order to keep her safe. But it appeared as if they hadn't won. Kagome collapsed to her knees beside of Inuyasha's lifeless body and began crying. "Inuyasha...I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." She touched his hand and found that it was cold.

"I told you it wasn't a pretty sight." Koga said coldly from behind her.

"You." Kagome said under her breath. She jumped to her feet and spun around to face the wolf demon. "Why?" She cried. "Why did you do it?"

"They were in my way." Koga answered simply. "I had to go through them to get what I wanted. And that's exactly what I did."

Kagome slapped him. "I hate you! I can't stand looking at you because of what you did! You caused so much trouble in my life, Koga. Because of you, I was miserable. I had nightmares of you! I despise you."

Koga rubbed his red cheek but regained his composure quickly and returned the blow. Kagome stood for a moment as the pain slowly went though her face and eventually subsided. She turned and looked up at him. "You won't despise me after the fun you have in a little bit, believe me." He growled.

Kagome gulped and turned and ran toward the village and into Kaede's hut. She had to get to her arrows in order to try and hurt him and if it at possible, kill him.

She looked around the room and did not see her quiver of arrows or her bow and began to panic. "Oh, no, where are they?" Her heart was racing out of sheer terror and she felt as if she had a time limit and when her time ran out, Koga would get her.

"How strange," he commented from the doorway. "It looks like you want me more than you let on. After all, you took me to this place." He motioned around the room and his index finger eventually pointed toward her sleeping bag.

Kagome backed away. "No." She said slowly. "Stay away from me. You've caused me enough misery!"

Koga smirked and ignored her and pounced on top of her, knocking her to the floor with a thud. The air rushed from her lungs and she tried to catch her breath, but Koga crushed his lips against hers roughly. She struggled against him, but he grabbed her hands with his left hand and held them above her head and then ripped off her clothes...

you 

Kagome sat up straight, sweating and breathing hard. Her hair was matted down onto her face and she was trembling. That nightmare was, by far, the worst one she had had yet. And she hoped to never have it again.

"Kagome, are you all right?"

The girl turned and found Inuyasha right beside of her where he had been when she had drifted off to sleep. She gazed around at everyone in the room. They were sleeping. She turned back to Inuyasha. He looked worried, but then his expression changed to one of anger. "Not another one about _him _again."

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha, do you always have to get that tone when it comes to Koga?" She turned her head in order to look into his amber eyes.

"Of course I do." He said, matter-of-factly. "I couldn't stand that wolf in the first place and now I despise him." His face grew serious. "Especially after what he did to you."

Kagome hugged her knees to her chest. "This whole thing happened because of me." She whispered.

Inuyasha growled. "This is _not _your fault. All right? This all started because of him. So don't go blaming yourself."

"But it _is _all my fault." Kagome protested sadly. "Koga killed Ginta and Hikkaku either because he wanted to take his frustrations out on someone or wanted to kill Ginta and Hikkaku wouldn't let him and he killed him, too. And if Koga hadn't saved me, I wouldn't have let him take me back to his cave. If I hadn't been so blind, I could have kept him from marking me and Ginta and Hikkaku would still be alive."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said solemnly. "If Koga hadn't saved you, you wouldn't be here now. And it was only natural for you to let him take you back to his cave to wait for me. I wouldn't expect anything less from you. You had no idea that he was going to mark you and kill Ginta and Hikkaku, so what could you have done? Nothing. All of this happened because Koga chose to save you, mark you, and kill the rest of his comrades. This didn't happen because of you, it happened because of Koga."

Kagome looked down at the floor. "I still feel guilty."

"Well, don't." Inuyasha said stiffly.

Kagome managed a smile. "Do you want to say something to me?"

Inuyasha blinked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"About the mark," she explained to the clueless half demon. "Do you want to talk about it? Or do you want to talk about the scent claim that you said you had on me before we met Koga?"

"No." He said, turning away. "Just...rest up. We have to keep going tomorrow."

Kagome nodded and leaned against his shoulder. "All right. Since I was your intended, I guess you wouldn't mind if I lay here, right?"

"Would you stop babbling about that?" Inuyasha demanded, embarrassed.

"Ok, fine." She laughed lightly before settling down against Inuyasha and drifting off to sleep once again. Fortunately, she didn't have any nightmares this time.

----------

Note- There! How was it? Was it a little unexpected that Koga killed off the rest of his own pack? Well, there are lots of twists and turns in this story, but remember, I might ask you for help! Keep some ideas in mind, please.

In the next chapter: Will Kagome's day get off to a good start? And why does she have to wear a kimono? Who are those strange humans who possess a jewel fragment? What on earth do they want with Kagome? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!

Please review. It would be totally awesome. I have to admit that I am a little disappointed that I've only received this many reviews after writing these long chapters. I thought that that is what everyone wants! Why won't you read and review more often? (Cries in a corner and comes back) I'm fine with it, though. Honest! Anyway, please review and suggest this story to your friends! I'm begging you. Thanks for reading!


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